Business
World food commodity prices declined modestly in May: FAO

World food commodity prices declined modestly in May for the second consecutive month, although wheat and poultry prices pushed higher, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index averaged 157.4 points in May 2022, down 0.6 per cent from April. The Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of commonly-traded food commodities, however, remained 22.8 per cent higher than in May 2021.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 2.2 per cent from the previous month, led by wheat prices, which were up 5.6 per cent from April and 56.2 per cent from their corresponding value a year earlier.
International wheat prices, averaging only 11 percent below the record high reached in March 2008, rose in response to an export ban announced by India and concerns over crop conditions in several leading exporting countries as well as reduced production prospects in Ukraine due to the war.
International rice prices also rose across the board, while coarse grain prices declined by 2.1 per cent, with maize prices dropping by even more in step with slightly improved crop conditions in the US, seasonal supplies in Argentina and the imminent start of Brazil’s main maize harvest.
The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index declined by 3.5 percent from April, while still markedly higher than its year-earlier level. Prices dropped for palm, sunflower, soy and rapeseed oils, due in part to the removal of Indonesia’s short-lived export ban on palm oil and sluggish global import demand for soy and rapeseed oils in view of elevated costs in recent months.
“Export restrictions create market uncertainty and can result in price spikes and increased price volatility, the decrease in oilseeds prices shows how important it is when they are removed and let exports flow smoothly,” said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero Cullen.
The FAO Dairy Price Index also dropped by 3.5 per cent month-on-month. Prices of milk powders declined the most, linked to market uncertainties from the continued Covid-19 lockdowns in China, while robust retail sales and high demand from restaurants in the Northern Hemisphere prevented cheese prices from falling significantly despite weakened global import demand.
Butter prices also dropped on account of a weaker import demand amid improved exportable supplies.
The FAO Sugar Price Index declined by 1.1 per cent from April, as a bumper crop in India buoyed global availability prospects.
The weakening of the Brazilian real against the US dollar, along with lower ethanol prices, also pressured world sugar prices downwards.
Meanwhile, the FAO Meat Price Index set a new all-time high, increasing by 0.6 per cent in May even as world bovine meat prices remained stable and those of pig meat fell.
The climb was driven by a steep increase in international poultry meat prices, reflecting continued supply chain disruptions in Ukraine and recent cases of avian influenza amid a surge in demand in Europe and the Middle East.
Business
India’s rooftop solar energy capacity to reach 25-30 GW by FY27

New Delhi, April 15: India’s rooftop solar energy capacity is projected to surge from 17 GW to an estimated 25–30 GW between FY25 and FY27, a report showed on Tuesday.
The expansion is driven by India’s broader energy transition goals, with solar power emerging as a central pillar in the country’s clean energy roadmap.
With a total renewable capacity of 220 GW as of FY25 and a national target of 300 GW solar capacity by 2030, rooftop solar, particularly in the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment, is expected to play a pivotal role in this growth, according to the report by CareEdge Ratings.
As of FY25, India’s rooftop solar capacity stood at 17.02 GW, and increasing awareness among businesses about reducing operating costs and meeting sustainability targets is fuelling adoption.
Government incentives, reducing technology costs, and policy support such as net metering and PLI schemes are expected to further accelerate deployment.
Overall, the FY27 projection underscores a transformative phase for India’s solar industry, setting the foundation for sustained expansion through the end of the decade.
“Rooftop solar installations in India have gained momentum. With the growing C&I demand backed by an improving policy ecosystem, we expect the market to reach nearly 25-30 GW over the next two years,” said Tanvi Shah, Director at CareEdge Advisory and Research.
The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, aimed at installing rooftop solar in 1 crore households with subsidies up to Rs 78,000, is expected to provide strong support to residential adoption. The scheme not only supports low and middle-income households by reducing their electricity bills but also aims to create nearly 17 lakh jobs, boosting the solar value chain.
Recently, rooftop solar initiative has achieved a historic milestone with 10 lakh installations as of March 10, 2025.
Gujarat remains a leader due to its progressive “Surya Gujarat” programme, while Maharashtra has seen strong commercial and industrial demand, especially from MSMEs and urban commercial hubs.
“The rooftop solar segment which currently holds around 20 per cent share of India’s solar mix is gaining importance due to its distributed nature and direct consumer engagement. This is despite utility-scale solar being the dominant contributor,” said the report.
The growth of rooftop solar market in India has witnessed accelerated growth in the recent years. With strong policy backing, falling costs, and growing consumer interest, it is set to emerge as a key pillar in India’s renewable energy transition, said the report.
National
Ghulam Nabi Azad dissolves all committees of his party in J&K

Srinagar, April 14: Former Chief Minister and Chairman of Democratic Azad Party (DAP), Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday dissolved all state, province, district and block level committees of his party.
Bashir Arif, secretary to Gulam Nabi Azad, said the DAP chairman has dissolved all state, province, district and block level committees, and the reconstitution will take place in due course.
Ghulam Nabi Azad parted ways with the Congress party, with which he remained associated for over 40 years.
He was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha as a Congress MP in 2014, and after his term of office ended, he announced that he was parting ways with the Congress that had become a ‘family driven affair’ for the mother and son.
He launched the Democratic Azad Party (DAP) from Jammu and Kashmir on September 26, 2022, saying “it will not be autocratic, but democratic”.
“The DAP will be based on the principles of democracy. It will not be influenced by any outside leader or other party. It will have independent thinking and will stay independent in its decisions. It will not be autocratic and power will not be in one hand,” Azad said on the party’s launch day.
He quit Congress on August 26, 2022, after over four decades of association, following differences with the party high command.
However, none of the leaders from the G23, a rebel group within the Congress, was present at the party launch. He had suggested launching a national-level party rather than a regional party.
DAP fought the J&K Assembly elections last year, but could not manage to win a single seat in the 90-member Legislative Assembly.
After the complete defeat in the Assembly elections, many leaders of Azad’s party left the party to rejoin Congress.
Prominent among them are Taj Mohiuddin and some other former ministers in the Congress rule in J&K.
Business
SEBI warns of securities market frauds via YouTube, Facebook, X and more

Mumbai, April 12: Alarmed at frauds related to securities market on various social media platforms, capital markets regulator SEBI has issued an advisory for investors to exercise caution and due diligence to verify the genuineness of social media handles of SEBI-registered entities while accessing them.
SEBI noticed an increase in frauds related to securities market on various social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (previously Twitter), WhatsApp, Telegram, Google Play Store and Apple Store, etc.
“With increasing adoption of digital communication platforms, it is observed that scamsters are enticing victims by giving trading calls in the name of providing education. They also provide misleading or deceptive testimonials, promise or guarantee of assured or risk-free return etc. through various social media platforms,” according to a SEBI statement.
SEBI noticed unregistered investment advisory services being provided by entities that falsely claim to be registered intermediaries with SEBI or by showcasing fake certificates purportedly issued by the regulator.
It also observed impersonation of SEBI-registered entities by fraudulent trading platforms, WhatsApp, Telegram channels which deceptively claim or suggest affiliation with SEBI-registered entity claiming to provide assured or risk-free return.
“Scamsters are enticing gullible investors by claiming that they provide exclusive services on their platform (fake trading/advisory apps) facilitating securities trading that allow the subscriber to enjoy preferential services with regard to trade and share price — institutional trading account, IPOs at discounted price, block trade at discounted price and sure shot allocation of IPO,” said SEBI.
Also, misleading and manipulative contents have been designed by scamsters to entice investors to join private chat groups or channels on WhatsApp/Telegram, through fraudulent ads/posts on various social media platforms.
“Investors are advised to exercise caution and due diligence to verify the genuineness of social media handles of SEBI registered entities while accessing them,” the regulator noted.
Further, while investing in securities market, investors are advised to deal with only SEBI-registered intermediaries and authentic trading apps, it added.
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